Kiwis lack faith in State health system—survey

Press, 7 September 1989, Page 6

Kiwis lack faith in State health system—survey

PA Wellington New Zealanders believe they will have to pay more for their own health care in the future because the Government will not fix up the State’s health system, according to a nationwide survey released yesterday.

The Southern Cross Health Care Group, which has over a million members, said a Heylen opinion poll on the health system showed 36 per cent of people think the Government should increase spending on health and spend less on other social services.

But even more people believe it most likely that less money will be spent

on public health and that more people will join private health schemes to help finance the health services they require, the insurer said.

A political analyst, Mr Colin James, who was hired by Southern Cross to give an independent report on the political aspects of the survey, said it showed poorer people, already unhappy about Rogernomics think the Government’s restructuring of health care is hurting them. “That is serious news for the Government,” he said.

The survey showed people think the State health system is deteriorating and want it fixed

either by improvements in efficiency or more spending, but fear the Government is not committed to it.

“They would rather not have to join private schemes, but think they will have to because they think the Government will not fix up the State system,” said Mr James. “If it does, people expect they will have to pay higher taxes..”

Mr James said the costs of health services had outstripped inflation by 20 per cent in the last four years, according to the Government. After four years of real rises in allocations, area health boards were proposing to close hospitals and trim

services, which had created a widespread impression of reduced health spending by central Government.

An economist also hired to give an independent view of the survey, Mr Paul Frater, of Business and Economic Research, Ltd, said it was important that the public ranked health care and personal safety third in priority after employment and education and that it wanted a better health service.

“The public holds little hope of winning those improvements, partly because it has little trust and confidence in Parliament and the public service,” Mr Frater said.